


it's nice to have a friend

by ivyrobinson



Series: dolly [2]
Category: Anastasia (1997), Anastasia - Flaherty/Ahrens/McNally
Genre: F/F, Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:08:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23568832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivyrobinson/pseuds/ivyrobinson
Summary: short ficlet. modern au.
Relationships: Paulina (Anastasia Broadway) | Dunya (Anastasia Broadway)
Series: dolly [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1861222
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	it's nice to have a friend

**Author's Note:**

  * For [piecesofgold](https://archiveofourown.org/users/piecesofgold/gifts).



Dunya Volkov is not a fan of middle school, the new town she lives in or her room at her Aunt and Uncle’s. She’s definitely not a fan of being the new girl at school. The town is small and the cliques are even smaller. She had found a tree to sit under at lunch, not wanting to live through the humiliation of trying to find a seat. She ate an apple and watched as the students she wished she fit in with had sat at tables and talked and laughed. 

She was not a natural outsider. She may not have been top tier popular at her old school, but she had been close to it. With everything that happened, and her father signing over his parental rights over her to his older sister, the thought of starting over was exhausting. 

Thirteen years old and Dunya was exhausted. 

“Hey, wait up!” Says a voice, and Dunya doesn’t stop because there’s no one she knows to call her to stop. But in a moment, a girl is by her side. “You’re new, right? Avdotya?”

Only her Aunt and Uncle call her that. 

Dunya winces at hearing her full name, “Yes, but I go by Dunya.”

The girl laughs, it’s light and melodic. “I get it. I’m Paulina, but I go by Polly.”

She turns her head to get a look at the girl. She’s pretty in an undeniable way, her golden blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. She’s wearing a skirt, and a sweater that is designed to fall off her shoulder, exposing sun kissed skin. 

Dunya has no idea why such a girl would want to speak to her. 

“Did you need me for something?” She says, trying to soften her tone so it doesn’t come off as rude. 

“Yes,” Polly says, “Company! We are sort of neighbors- well our backyards touch, I thought you could walk me home.” 

She appears genuine and without an ulterior motive, so Dunya forces herself to relax. 

“I don’t know the way very well,” she confesses. Her uncle had dropped her off at school that morning, pointing out how easy it would be for her to walk home. 

She had been too distracted to pay attention. 

Polly smiles brightly, “Then I can walk you home.” 

She reaches over and grabs her hand, and Dunya’s heart stutters. 

-

Polly’s backyard is huge. Dunya can see her Aunt’s house between the trees if she’s looking really hard. She rolls around on her sleeping bag so she doesn’t have to look. 

Her best friend loves to have people over. There’s not a moment she can remember Polly truly being alone. Right now is rare, the two of them on top of their sleeping bags on the back porch. 

She’s invited the entire cheerleading squad over for a slumber party. There’s several tents scattered along the yard. They were all out and about earlier, playing games and drinking and taking photos but it’s grown late and slowly the numbers dwindled down to the two of them. 

The two of them decided- or rather mostly Polly did, that it was such a nice night out they could just sleep on the back deck. Their friends Marfa and Anya had said they’d rather sleep separately from the bugs and potential mosquitos. Polly had wanted to stay outside, and where she went, Dunya went. And vice versa. 

Polly’s hair is tickling her arm, and she’s trying not to be aware of every movement that her friend makes. As always, Polly makes it impossible, as she turns on her side, her face brushing Dunya’s shoulder and throwing her arm around her exposed midsection. 

She’s still not used to it, three years later, how touchy feely Polly can be. It drives her nuts, in ways she can’t dwell on, but, selfishly- or perhaps she just enjoys torturing herself, she doesn’t want her to stop. 

“If we stay awake for another hour or so,” Polly whispers, “We can see the sunrise.” 

Dunya smiles, and searches the sky for a sign of the impending daylight. “Is that really why you wanted to sleep on the deck instead?” 

“Yes,” Polly turns her head and yawns into Dunya’s hair. “I need something to wake me up.” 

“Like what?” Dunya turns her head to look at her, only to realize how close their faces are, so she looks back to the sky. 

“I don’t know,” she murmurs, before tilting her face back up. “Tell me a secret I don’t know.” 

Dunya sighs, “You know all my secrets.” 

Rightfully, Polly sees that for that it is. “Liar. No one can no know all of someone’s secrets.” 

“I’m boring,” Dunya protests, and she is. She has exactly one secret and it’s the only one she can’t bring herself to tell Polly. 

“Stop,” Polly scolds her, and pulls on her, forcing Dunya and roll onto her side to face her. “There’s not a single dull thing about you, Dun.” 

Dunya goes to roll her eyes, but instead tilts her head up and their faces are so close, and her lips are right there, and there’s not a single force that can stop her from sealing the distance and pressing her lips against Polly’s. 

Polly’s hand is against her back, pulling her closer.


End file.
